


[You have (1) new message]

by yoonminoml (fanficloverme96)



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Stalker, others made brief appearances - Freeform, post part 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26405020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficloverme96/pseuds/yoonminoml
Summary: Riku-kun, teehee. I found your number, didn’t I?[Riku has a stalker.]
Relationships: Kujou Ten & Nanase Riku
Comments: 11
Kudos: 150





	[You have (1) new message]

It starts with a message.

_ Riku-kun, teehee. I found your number, didn’t I? _

This isn’t the first time a fan found his phone number. It happened to the other members of his group; it’s just another part of the package of being an idol whose popularity is quickly rising. It’s unfortunate, but Riku has learned to get used to it. It doesn’t mean it does not send an unpleasant feeling to his gut, though. 

He doesn’t reply and blocks the number. He asks Tsumugi to change his number and pretends not to notice the pity behind her look of understanding. His number gets changed later that afternoon and he spends an hour messaging his new number to his close contact. Tenn calls him and asks him if he’s alright. Riku smiles and says that he is.

That is the end of that.

Except it isn’t.

The second text message arrives when Riku is about to fall asleep after a long day of schedule. It takes him by surprise, successfully waking him up from his initial drowsiness. 

_ Riku-kun~! I have left you a gift on your doorstep. Won’t you take a look? _

The “gift” is an enveloped-sealed letter written in dark red ink to tell Riku to “jump off a cliff and die, already.” With a quick sniff, Riku quickly learns that it is not red ink.

It is dried blood.

The CCTV monitoring their front door had been hacked into by the time the company took a look at it and all footage of the possible sender of the letter have all been deleted. The incident does not repeat itself and the company writes it off as a horrible prank. An apologetic Tsumugi and Banri tell him that they will try their best to protect the group regardless.

Riku smiles and tells them not to worry about it.

He does not tell them of the text message he received an hour ago, with the same death threats but now accompanied with heart emojis and smiley faces. 

Three weeks since that letter incident, nothing happened. There are no more text messages nor “gifts” left at his doorstep. Perhaps Riku is safe now. Perhaps it had been a prank. Riku lets out a sigh of relief and lies to Tenn that he’s fine when his brother Rabbitchats him asking about the incident. 

He lies and says he’s fine.

Well, it’s not a lie, is it? Nothing did happen. There is no point of telling his brother about it now. Riku will only needlessly worry him. Tenn doesn’t sound too convinced, but in the end, he lets it go. Tenn even lets Riku talk his ear off about other less exciting stories, listening patiently as Riku recounts his schedules and his now busy days.

At least there is one silver lining from all of this. Tenn never lets him talk this long uninterrupted before.

A week later, Tsumugi announces to the group that they will have their first group schedule in a long while at the end of the week. It is a relatively short appearance for a pre-recorded variety show, but Riku smiles as the rest of his group cheers at the prospect of spending more time together again. Ever since their popularity skyrocketed, such opportunities have become a rare occurrence. 

That night, he receives a text message.

_ Riku-kun, I miss you so much. Have you finally decided to die yet? _

He doesn’t know what prompted him to do it. But by the time he realizes his actions, his fingers had already pressed send.

_ Please stop texting me or I’ll have to report you to the company and the police. _

The reply comes a minute later.

_ Do that, and perhaps you can guess what may happen. _

_ [attachment.jpg] _

It is a picture of a compilation of images of the members of his group sleeping in their room, the angle taken as though the person is right beside their bed. 

The text messages keep coming. Riku wants to report to his manager, but the treat the sender gave him still hangs in the air and each new message, he gets a new picture as if to remind him of that threat.

A picture of Mitsuki dancing in the practice room, looking as though it had been taken from a window.

A video of Iori and Tamaki walking from school, taking from a distance that is too near for Riku’s comfort.

A picture of himself asleep, from an angle that suggests that the person had been inside his room though that idea should not be possible.

It’s hard not to feel paranoid. It’s difficult for Riku to now make it a habit to nervously glance around the room and to feel a little jumpy when someone gets too close. Mitsuki asks him in a worried tone if he’s feeling ill after Riku jumped a bit too much when Mitsuki pats him on the shoulder.

He smiles and says he’s fine - just a bit tired perhaps. Mitsuki gives him a look of understanding and offers to cook him his favorite omurice for dinner. Riku isn’t hungry - he doesn’t have much appetite these days - but he thanks Mitsuki nevertheless.

In the end, it’s difficult for him to resist the urge to push away his plate that night during dinner. Mitsuki had scribbled a smiley face and a picture of his favorite character on the omelette and Riku praises him accordingly and forces himself to take a bite.

He forces himself to not see the ketchup as the dried blood the letter he received was written in.

The messages continued. 

_ Riku-kun~! What picture should I send you next? :3 _

The night before their group schedule, Riku could not sleep a wink. 

How long have they been filming? How long has Riku stared at the camera and the bright lights and forced himself to smile? Forced himself to cheerfully say out his lines, stumble on some, and make the audience in the studio laugh?

It’s probably been less than an hour since everyone else is still rather energetic and there hasn’t been any cuts from the director yet, but Riku feels as though he’s been sitting on this sofa for ages. 

“Riku?” Yamato’s hand is warm and heavy on his shoulder. “You okay? You look tired.”

It’s after filming and Riku’s finally gone back to the green room with the rest of his members. He turns to look at the group leader, a smile already on his face. He nods and tilts his head to the side, a perfect picture of confusion. “I’m fine, Yamato-san! Don’t worry.”

“You sure?”

“Positive!” he insists. 

Yamato doesn’t look too convinced. Riku finds himself holding his breath; his leader has always been more perceptive than he lets on and it’s times like these Riku prays he doesn’t see right through him. Please, just this once, look away. Look away.  _ Please. _

He’s not sure if Yamato sees right through him in the end, but Yamato seems to be willing to drop the subject for now, shrugging before turning away and announcing that he’s heading for the buffet table. In the midst of cheers from the rest of other hungry members, Riku lets out a sigh of relief. He waves their invitation off to join them, saying that he needs a quick 5 minute breather on the sofa before he will eat with them.

Once alone in the green room, Riku sinks into the sofa and covers his face with both of his hands.

He hears a familiar buzzing sound. His heart could have stopped at that moment, and when he moves his hand away to look at his bag that is next to him - where the buzzing sound is at its loudest -, he doesn’t realize that his hand is shaking.

He hesitantly reaches for his bag and pulls the zipper open. Fishing out his phone, he pauses for a split second before he taps on the screen.

He sees it the moment the screen lights up. A message notification bar.

_ Riku-kun~ Good work filming today~ <3 I was hoping you would mess up the entire time, though. Why didn’t you? _

It takes him every ounce of his willpower to not throw the phone away. Instead, Riku keeps staring at the screen, his hands shaking even more as he tries to keep a firm grip on his phone. He slides the screen open and presses on the dialogue box.

He shouldn’t reply. His gut feeling tells him to report this to his manager. To his company. To  _ anybody.  _ But the thing is -

He can’t bring himself to do it again. 

_ How did you get my number?  _

The reply comes less than 30 seconds later.

_ I have my sources <3 You can’t run from me, Riku-kun. _

Whoever this person is, they’re right and it’s frustrating that they are. This is the third time Riku has changed his phone number and this is the third time this person managed to find him again. Out of the three times he changed his number, he only told his company once to avoid suspicion and worry, but if this goes on, he might have to bite the bullet and finally report this person and put an end to his misery -

A message notification breaks the tension in the air.

_ If you’re thinking of reporting me, just remember what is at risk~ _

Riku grits his teeth.

_ Why are you doing this to me? Did I do something to upset you? _

_ Teehee! What a silly question. The fact that you exists already offends me, Riku-kun ^_^ _

Riku is already rising to his feet. He can’t take this. He has to go find his manager and tell her that there is someone stalking him and threatening him and maybe then -

_ I’m nearby, you know. I can come see you now if you’d like. _

Riku lets out a strangled gasp. Roughly stuffing the phone back into his pockets, he reaches for the doorknob and stumbles out of the room. He will go see his members. If he’s no longer alone, maybe Riku will feel more at ease. He’ll be fine. He just needs to see his friends and be around them. He will be fine.

“Oh, Rikkun’s finally here,” Tamaki says, his mouth full of chicken. He waves when he sees Riku approach, holding out a piece of uneaten chicken out to the boy. “Want one?”

Riku must have taken a second too long to answer because Tamaki is repeating his question again, this time with a slightly more confused tone.

“Rikkun? You didn’t hear me?”

“H-huh? Oh, yeah, sorry, Tamaki.” Riku shakes his head. “No, I’m okay. I just came here to have a drink.”

“Here,” Sougo hands him a cup of juice from a nearby table. His brows knit in obvious concern as he watches the boy accept the plastic cup from his hand. “Riku-kun, you look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?”

Tamaki peers at Riku, his eyes squinting slightly. “Sou-chan’s right. Your face looks kinda weird, Rikkun.”

“Tamaki-kun!” Sougo chides.

“What? You said it yourself, Sou-chan,” Tamaki complains. 

Riku laughs nervously, waving his hands. “I’m fine, guys. Really! I just need some sugar in my bloodstream.”

The concern on Sougo’s face grows. “Are you feeling dizzy? Do you need to sit down?” He places a hand on Riku’s forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever, at least.”

“Huh? A fever?” Now Mitsuki is coming over, and the panic in Riku’s heart only grows at the attention he’s receiving. “Riku, are you okay?” Mitsuki frowns as he examines Riku’s face. “You do look a little pale. Do you want me to tell Manager? We could have five more minutes to let you rest some more.” 

“N-no. Like I said, I’m fine.” Riku is about to say something else when the phone in his pocket gives a loud ring.

“Rikkun…?” Tamaki pulls back as if surprised. “Wah, Rikkun, you have a scary look on your face.”

Riku could only distantly hear Tamaki say those words. His entire focus is on the sound of his ringtone and the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. He doesn’t know who the caller is, but he has a sneaking suspicion on who it might be. After everything that is happening, it’s a gut feeling Riku could not afford to ignore. 

“Riku-kun, your phone is ringing. Should you get that?”

No, no, no, there is no way this person could be -

Riku slowly takes out his phone and looks at the caller ID. His heart drops the moment he sees those words flash across his screen.

Unknown caller. 

Iori is coming over now. “Nanase-san, what’s wrong? You look -,”

“Um!” Riku says a little louder than intended, startling Sougo, Tamaki, Mitsuki, and Iori. “S-sorry, I’m just going to answer this. I’ll be right back.”

He runs towards the nearest hallway, turning round the corner and walking far enough until no one is in sight. The phone in his hands keeps ringing, as if the caller is just waiting for Riku to pick up, no matter how long they need to wait. 

When Riku finally picks up, he doesn’t speak. The caller on the other line doesn’t seem to mind.

_ “Ri~ku~kun! Thank you for picking up!” _ It is a girl’s voice, childishly high as she sings out the syllables of Riku’s name.  _ “I’m happy you decided to listen to me. You didn’t report me to anyone, did you?” _

“You said,” Riku says in a whispery voice, “If I do that, you’ll hurt my friends.”

_ “Mhm! See, you remember! I guess you’re not entirely useless, after all~”  _ A pause.  _ “Ah, but don’t misunderstand, Riku-kun. I still ha~ate you so~ much!” _ There is a giggle and a sound of footsteps. Riku finds himself slowly edging towards the shooting studio again, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Those footsteps…

They sound too close for Riku’s liking.

_ “In fact,” _ the girl continues,  _ “I hate you so much that I’ll follow you around. It doesn’t matter if you change your phone number or even move out from your dorm! I’ll always know where you are. I’ll always know how to find you.” _

“Why are you doing this?” Riku forces out. There is a lump in his throat and a steadily growing fear in his heart. The walls seem to be closing in on him as he stands there. He feels as though there are eyes on him.

There is another giggle. 

_ “I told you, Riku-kun. It’s because I hate you.”  _ There is a soft exhale of breath, and the next time she speaks, her voice drops an octave lower.  _ “So much so I’ll make your life miserable. Every. Second. Of. Your. Day.” _

A strangled gasp tears out from Riku’s throat and in blind panic, he quickly ends the call and switches off his phone.

He’ll be okay. Those are just empty threats. Whoever this girl is, she can’t hurt him.

As long as he’s around his friends and his manager, he will be safe.

“And action!”

The second half of the filming begins without much of a hitch. By the time Riku reaches the shooting studio again, the director is already calling them back onto the set to resume filming. Riku is only able to grab a quick drink of the juice Sougo offered to him before he is rushed back onto the set and into position.

Iori is currently reciting his lines and it’s clear that he had them memorized well, even inserting a few perfectly timed adlibs here that draws a favorable reaction from the crowd. Mitsuki is saying something in return and Riku tries to concentrate but the earlier phone call is still reeling in his mind. His phone is still tucked in his pocket - in his rush, he had forgotten to hand it to Tsumugi and he would probably be scolded for it if anyone finds out -, serving as a grim reminder of what just happened. 

Riku mentally shakes his head. He can’t afford to be distracted now. He’s safe here. All these cameras on him are now a blessing - whoever it was who threatened him over the phone couldn’t possibly hurt him now. Even if -

Even if that person is possibly right here in the studio, watching his every move. 

It’s difficult not to come to that conclusion; how else would she have known he was filming something today and texted him just as he was taking a break? The footsteps from earlier had definitely sounded too close. Riku wishes it is just his paranoia talking, but the signs are too hard to ignore.

Sougo is talking now and soon it will be Riku’s turn to say out his lines according to the prompt machine in front of them. He senses that one of the cameras is focusing on him and flashes a smile, taking the opportunity to scan the audience.

_ That’s right, Riku, just focus on the audience - _

There is a girl who catches his eye. She sits in the middle seat in the middle row, her brown hair donned with light pink ribbons which matches her pink overalls. Riku doesn’t know why this girl in particular catches his attention. Maybe it’s that particular way she’s smiling at him, like she knows something he doesn’t.

Riku’s eyes drift downwards to the sign she’s holding. It’s written in neon pink marker; his name and a cheerful motivational message to do his best. He’s about to smile and give her a little wave as fanservice -

Until the girl flips the sign.

_ Nanase Riku-kun~<3 I hope you die. _

As if she knows Riku is looking at her, she pulls out her cellphone, places it against her ear and winks at him.

Riku’s world comes to a full stop. It’s as if nothing else matters but the girl sitting a distance away from him, holding the sign that is written in such pretty colors but with a message that makes Riku’s heart drop all the way to his stomach.

It’s her. It’s the one who’s been sending him texts and gifts. She’s the one who’s threatening him and his friends and -

She’s rising from her seat. She’s going to -

Riku is going to -

“Riku-kun?!” He hears Sougo exclaim.

“Riku?” Yamato calls out, “H-hey! W-where are you going -,”

“Oh, Riku! The filming isn’t over!” Nagi cries out.

“Riku-san!” Tsumugi yelps in surprise when Riku rushes past her. 

He doesn’t remember getting up from his seat. He barely remembers running off the set with the cameras still rolling, with the rest of the audience and his members yelling his name out of bewilderment. He distantly hears the hosts stuttering in confusion, not knowing what to do, but he barely processes it.

All he could focus is the adrenaline that pushes him to run, to get out of here as fast as he could and -

He hears footsteps behind him and dares himself to sneak a peek.

The girl. She’s following him. The smile on her face is cheerful but there is something dark in the way she looks at him. 

He’s in danger. He needs to run. He needs to -

The shooting studio is on the first floor and the fear and adrenaline rushing through his veins push him to take the stairs instead of the elevator and before he knows it, he reaches the front door of the building and rushes out, feeling the cold air on his skin.

“Ri~ ku~ kun!”

Riku does not stop running.

How long has he been running? He doesn’t know where he’s going. Riku doesn’t even know why he’s running like this when there could have been  _ other  _ things he could have done. Call for help. Yell for securities. Scream.  _ Anything. _

“Riku-kun~!” The girl giggles behind him, steadily gaining speed. “Hehe! This is kinda fun! It’s like we’re playing tag.”

Riku has never felt so much fear towards another person in his life. The girl is relentless at chasing him, no matter how many twists and turns he had taken to throw her off. Riku runs through a park and takes the path that leads to a man-made forest, hoping the trees could make her lose sight of him, but he could still hear her footsteps and her delighted giggle that is slowly turning maniacal with each passing second.

“You can run all you want, Riku-kun! I’ll catch you no problem~ I’m an expert at playing tag, I’ll have you know!” she sings.

“Leave...me...alone!” Riku gasps. “Please!”

Crap. It’s getting hard to breathe. The trees and the twisting pathways are starting to look the same and they’re messing with his sense of balance. His chest feels really tight and there is a fire in his lungs that wasn’t there before. His legs  _ burn _ and each step feels like a strain on his body. His breathing is coming out in wheezes and he could feel himself slowing down.

No way. He can’t. He can’t have an attack now. Please, please,  _ please!  _

Riku yelps when he trips and falls onto the ground. The impact of the fall knocks out the breath from his lungs and with his impending attack, it only serves to aggravate it. His head and chest hurt tremendously and his vision is blurry with tears. His heart is pounding so hard in his chest that Riku’s sure it might just rip out from his body.

All the while, the girl finally stops running to stand directly in front of him.

“Found you~!” she says happily, “You lose, Riku-kun.”

“P-please...leave...me…alone-” Riku couldn’t even afford to finish his sentence. He coughs badly, racking his entire body at the force of it. He couldn’t breathe outside of gasps and wheezes and everything is hurting and he’s so  _ terrified _ -

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” the girl asks innocently, “Your condition is truly pitiful.”

She knows. Of course, she knows. 

He raises his arms to cover his face, as if that would do anything to defend himself from this person in front of him. Everything _ hurts _ so much - every breath he forces out from his lungs feels like his last. The girl’s shape is starting to blur and the ground beneath him feels as though it’s falling apart. He claws his fingers into the soil in a desperate attempt to ground himself. To stay conscious long enough to try to yell for help even though even talking feels like torture.

“Poor, poor, Riku-kun,” the girl coos, “Don’t worry, I’ll put an end to your misery soon. I promise.”

Riku watches in stunned horror as the girl reaches into her satchel bag to take out something metal. Something that gleams even in the dark.

Aiming the pocket knife towards him, the girl’s smile turns maniacal as she raises the knife above her head.

“I’ll put an end to your misery, so you’ll never be near Tenn-kun again!” she screams before she brings the knife down.

As Riku braces himself for the pain, a fleeting thought passes through his mind.

_ Ah...so this girl...loves Tenn-nii. _

He squeezes his eyes shut and curls his body into himself as he waits for the inevitable pain of the knife piercing through his flesh, only for the pain to never come. 

The girl lets out a shriek instead before she scrambles to her feet and runs away. Riku watches her go in a daze, the edges of his vision rapidly blurring. He distantly hears shouts and hurried footsteps going in two directions. One towards the direction the girl ran off to.

One towards him.

He feels hands on him. Someone is cradling his face. Someone is shouting his name.

“Riku! H-hey, Riku! Stay with -,”

He can’t hear the rest. His vision is darkening just as his lungs start to give out. Just before he slips fully into unconsciousness, the shape of the person in front of him begins to look familiar.

“Tenn…nii....”

_ “Breaking news: IDOLiSH7 center, Nanase Riku, has been hospitalized following an assault attempt by a long-time stalker believed to be-” _

Gaku switches off the TV before Tenn could listen to the news in its entirety. He shakes his head at Tenn in disapproval. “I told you not to watch that. It’ll only stress you out.”

“He’s right, you know,” Ryuu chimes in, his face apologetic when Tenn looks at him, “Anesagi-san specifically told you to not look at the news and social media for a few days. There are a lot of rumors going on right now and she doesn’t want you to worry.”

“How can I  _ not _ worry?” Tenn snaps, “Imagine walking home from a schedule and seeing your brother being chased down and finding him cornered and having an attack? This is worse than the time he attempted to rescue me from the kidnappers…” he continues with a mumble, his brows heavily furrowed.

“Which is all the more reason why you shouldn’t be seeing the news right now,” Gaku points out with a heavy sigh. He sits down next to Tenn and quietly hands him a mug of honey tea, to which Tenn accepts without saying a word. “You know who the stalker is, don’t you?” he asks softly, his tone more careful now.

Tenn grits his teeth. “Anesagi-san only said she’s my fan. She didn’t elaborate further.”

Gaku and Ryuu exchange glances.

“Do you want to know more about it?” Ryuu asks gently.

Tenn’s grip on the mug tightens. _ “Please.” _

Gaku sighs again, running a hand through his hair. “When our staff members caught up to her and held her down while waiting for the police to come, all she yelled was...she wanted Nanase to stay away from you. She said…” A pause. “She said something about him ruining your shine.”

Tenn makes a strangled sound at the back of his throat. It’s something he had suspected but it doesn’t change the fact that it remains a hard reality to swallow. The girl is most probably one of his more passionate fans who would do anything for him.

Even hurting his little brother.

“Takanashi Productions is already filing a restraining order against her,” Ryuu adds, “Since she’s a minor, she probably won’t be serving any jail time...Perhaps a fine and an order to the juvenile centre but if she’s being released, the agency is already taking appropriate measures.” He places a hand on the small part of Tenn’s back as if to comfort him.

Tenn isn’t sure if he’s comforted at all.

“And Riku?” Tenn whispers, “What of him? I can’t…” He clenches his jaw. “Because I’m legally no longer his family, the doctors couldn’t say anything to me and I was sent home before I could ask anything else. I…” He bites his bottom lip. “Is he okay?”

“I can ask Anesagi-san, if you want,” Gaku offers, “Or Tsu -...Takanashi-san. It’s been a day since he’s been hospitalized. I’m pretty sure they might have some updates by now.”

“I…”

Why is Tenn hesitating? At the back of his mind, he already knows the answer, but he refuses to acknowledge it.

Or rather, he’s  _ terrified  _ to.

Someone is patting his hair. He looks up and sees Gaku giving him a small smile. The curve of his lips seem gentle and soothing, and looking at both Ryuu and Gaku’s faces filled with so much concern for him gives him a sudden overwhelming urge to cry.

“It’s not your fault, Tenn,” Gaku says, “You know that right?”

Hearing those words, Tenn gives up the last of his inhibitions. He curls into himself and cries in his seat, Gaku’s hand still carding through his locks and Ryuu’s touch still warm on his back.

The hospital floors are as white and sterile as Tenn remembers them. Hospitals hardly ever bring happy memories - aside from physical checkups, Tenn tries to avoid going to one as often as he could. After all, the hospital used to be his second home when he was a lot younger, having spent so much of his time there to look after his sick little brother.

The fact that he’s returning to the place he dreads for that very same reason sends a sinking feeling to his stomach. 

“Excuse me?” he asks the receptionist, “I’m a friend of Nanase Riku-san. He was admitted here yesterday and I’d like to pay him a visit.”

Tsumugi had personally filled Tenn in with Riku’s condition at Gaku’s request earlier that afternoon. Apparently, Riku had woken up several hours after he was admitted and though he’s disoriented, the doctors announced he’s well enough to receive visitors today, though with the recent incident, Riku’s room will be guarded by the company’s employees by shifts and all visitors will require strict verification by the hospital. Tenn is impressed by the company’s initiative at the very least.

The receptionist spares him a glance. “May I have your ID please, sir? We were requested to only allow certain people to visit him currently so I hope you understand.”

Tenn nods in understanding. “Of course.” He hands his ID as requested and there is the sound of clacking keys as the receptionist verifies his identity from her computer. 

“Kujou Tenn-san, is it? Well, your information matches so I’ll write down the information to his room for you. Please be aware that the patient is still disoriented and under strict observation, so you can only stay for half an hour at most.” She hands him a pager. “I’ll beep this around that time and you have to end your visit then.”

As much as Tenn hates hospitals, he has to be thankful for this one’s efficiency at least.

“Alright,” he nods.

Without wasting any time, he heads for the elevator and follows the direction the receptionist gave him. Riku’s room is on the 3rd floor and at the very end of the hospitals’ right wing. The closer he is to the room, the louder Tenn’s heart pounds. His hands are starting to get clammy and he swallows heavily once or twice. 

It’s strange being nervous like this to see his own little brother.

Or perhaps it’s  _ because _ it’s his little brother that he’s nervous. 

He can already see Tsumugi sitting in front of the room, her head bent over her laptop as she furiously types something on the keyboard. It doesn’t take her any time at all to notice him coming - a sense of vigilance that Tenn could definitely appreciate - and a smile graces her face, temporarily wiping traces of exhaustion previously written all over her features. 

“Kujou-san, you made it safely.” She rises from her seat and bows her head. “Thank you for taking the time to visit Riku-san.”

Tenn shakes his head. “Thank you for taking care of him. You’re already busy as it is.”

“For Riku-san’s sake, I don’t mind. If anything, I should apologize to you, Kujou-san.” There is a small crease between her brows as her expression breaks slightly. “Riku-san experienced something similar once before and it didn’t repeat itself, so we thought it was a one-time incident. We should have been more vigilant. And now…”

Tenn stares at the girl in front of him. 

Tsumugi has small shoulders, he realizes. Well, her overall build is slight, and yet she carries so much in her hands. Looking at her now, earnestly apologizing to him while bowing to him, Tenn couldn’t even find the energy to be angry, even if there is some truth in those words.

After all, to be angry at Tsumugi would be hypocritical of him, because it’s not as if he hasn’t noticed either how strange Riku had been acting during their last conversation together. If he had paid more attention, he would have been able to put a stop to this.

But that’s obviously too late now.

“As long as the stalker is in custody and Riku’s taken care of,” he murmurs, “There’s not much else that could be done.”

He nods towards the door. “Is Riku awake?”

“He falls in and out of consciousness due to his meds,” Tsumugi explains after raising her head, “It’s to keep his asthma under control and to calm his nerves. You can try and check.” She nods at the pager in his hand. “You’re on a time limit too, so rather than talking to me, I should probably let you in.”

Tenn exhales a breath. “Thank you, Takanashi-san. I appreciate it.”

Tsumugi’s smile looks a bit less tired now. “Good luck, Kujou-san.”

Taking Tsumugi’s wishes to heart, he takes in a steadying breath before he raises his knuckles to knock on the door.

Riku had woken to the feeling of a gas mask strapped to his face. It’s a feeling that he’s too familiar with, and he cannot say he’s surprised when he turned his head and saw a nurse beside him. 

“Oh, Nanase-san, you’re awake,” the nurse exclaimed in relief, “How do you feel?”

“Thirsty,” Riku croaked out. His throat felt really dry and his chest still throbbed a bit. He must have had an attack again. 

“Of course, you poor thing. Let me give you some water.”

The nurse poured him a small plastic cup of water, placing it on the bedside table before helping him to sit up. He still leaned heavily against the pillows when the nurse lifted his gas mask to allow him to take a few sips of water. 

“Did I have an attack again?” he asked weakly. 

Riku instantly knew something was wrong when the nurse’s expression changed slightly. 

“Yes, you did. You’re okay now, though,” the nurse said gently at first, “Do you...remember anything, Nanase-san?”

At first, the question confused him. He didn’t understand the reason behind the nurse asking it and he was about to say just this when he noticed the news playing on the TV at the corner of the room. The volume is muted, or very low because Riku could not hear much, but he could see the news anchor speaking and there was his name on the headline’s section and his picture along with a picture of -

A picture of a girl with brown hair and a very familiar looking face.

“Nanase-san…?”

He could barely hear the nurse. A rush of memories hit him, his heartbeat quickening as he remembered why that girl seemed awfully familiar. Why his name was on the news.

Ah.

That’s right.

There was someone chasing him. A fan of his brother’s, who wanted him gone. Even if it meant killing him. There was a knife and Riku’s chest had hurt so bad -

Someone was pushing him back against the mattress. The heart monitor was loud in his ears and he heard frantic voices. Someone rushed over to switch off the TV and though the face of the girl disappeared, Riku could not stop the adrenaline and fear from rushing through his veins.

Could not stop the overwhelming urge to run away.

“Nanase-san, Nanase-san!” There was a doctor who was speaking to him urgently. There are still hands pushing him back as he thrashes on the bed. Let him go,  _ please! _ He has to run away. He has to get away before the girl gets him. Before she could hurt his friends and it will all be Riku’s fault because he’s too weak to stop it -

“H-hey, shh. Focus on me now. You’re okay, you’re safe,” he hears the doctor say to him. When his actions proved to be useless - Riku could feel himself steadily hyperventilating -, he turned to the nurse beside him. “Get the meds.”

Riku doesn’t remember if he screamed for help. He doesn’t remember if he even made a sound as his mouth opened as if to shout and cry. What he _ does _ remember was the sight of the doctor accepting something from the nurse and injecting it into his IV line.

Then, it was darkness.

Riku drifted in and out of consciousness since then. During the times he was conscious, he saw different faces. His members, who had varying reactions to his current predicaments but most of them cried for him. Iori did not cry, or at least, he cried last, but before that, his expression had been so sad that it twisted Riku’s heart.

His president who had been patient and understanding and did not push him to talk when he came to visit, because Riku’s sleepy and tired from the medication and the leftovers of his adrenaline.

His managers. Tsumugi cried and Banri had wanted to cry but successfully prevented himself from doing so. Riku’s honestly glad for it. Seeing people cry only made Riku’s guilt grow because it reminded him that their worries stemmed from his own weakness. Even if his friends told him otherwise.

It was Tsumugi who finally filled him in with what happened. It was early in the morning and Riku couldn’t fall back asleep and despite Tsumugi’s initial hesitation, she told him the truth at his insistence.

The girl had been taken into custody and will be charged with a restraining order in case she was not given any jail time due to her age. The authorities will give Riku some time to heal before they would come over for a brief questioning. Tsumugi also added that Riku will be given some time off from work to manage his stress and anxiety.

It was difficult to not feel guilty because of it, and Riku remembers still apologizing when the medication flowing through his veins pulled him back to unconsciousness again.

It was a few hours later that the doctor announced Riku is well enough to see visitors, though for a short time and a limited number of people will be allowed in, It doesn’t quite truly matter; he’s never alone for the most part since there is always a Takanashi Productions employee stationed at his door. He’s glad for the thought, but to tell the truth, the extra layer of security made him feel a little boxed in.

He doesn’t say this to Tsumugi. He knows it won’t help matters. 

Now, as he lies against his pillow trying to focus on nothing but the sound of birds chirping outside his window, he wonders who might be his first visitor today. Will it be Iori and Tamaki? Their school should have ended by now, right? Maybe Nagi? The young prince mentioned he did not have any schedule lined up today and even if he did, he would always make time to see his beloved friend.

Will it be someone not from his agency? Will it be -

There is a knock on a door not too long after he thought this. It snaps him out of the reverie and honestly takes him by surprise at the suddenness of it all. After quickly regaining his composure, he sits up on his mattress and angles his body so that he is looking at the door. 

“Come in,” Riku calls out. 

Is it Tsumugi coming to check in on him? Maybe Banri is switching with her this time. She had been working since morning, after all. Riku’s sure she has other urgent things to settle.

Riku finds himself not knowing quite how to react when he sees his older twin brother walk inside the room.

He watches in silence as Tenn moves slowly towards him, each of his steps clearly hesitant, before he finally stops by his bedside. Riku could see a pager in his right hand - a stark reminder that his brother is here on borrowed time. How much time is he allowed to see Tenn for today? How much time does Tenn have left to be here to look at his brother?

When  _ was  _ the last time the twins had seen each other?

Tenn looks...different. Not in the way that is too obvious, but enough to make Riku realize just how long it might have been since the last time they had seen each other. Riku thinks his hair is a little longer. His clothing style definitely has changed slightly. The way he carries himself seems a little different too - there is a nervous energy reverberating from him, though that might have been caused by something more immediate.

Like -

For a moment, neither twin speaks.

For Tenn, it's because he doesn't know what to say.

For Riku…

The sight of his brother brings forth a wave of fresh memories. Memories he is desperately trying to push down because he could feel his heartbeat quickening just from remembering them and he's sure his heart monitor could already pick it up.

There is a memory of a maniacal giggle echoing in his mind. 

_ "So you'll never be near Tenn-kun again!" _

A choked cry tears out from his throat and his body jerks backwards as if trying to put as much distance as he could between him and his brother. He desperately wants to push down the overwhelming desire to run because he's safe, he's safe, he's  _ safe  _ and the girl is in custody and won't hurt him anymore. But his body refuses to listen because how  _ could  _ it when the person that reminds him of his stalker is  _ right there - _

"Riku -"

There is a sharp slapping sound. Tenn reels back, his hand raised awkwardly in front of him. His face morphs into a mask of shock that mirrors Riku's own expression.

Riku had slapped Tenn's hand away.

"I-" he chokes out, "I-I…" He curls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "I'm sorry, I-"

Tenn gives him a smile that is so heartbreakingly gentle and understanding that it puts a lump in Riku's throat just seeing it.

"I understand," Tenn murmurs, "I shouldn't have visited you too soon. Given the circumstances, seeing my face would be the last thing you want to do."

_ Wait, Tenn-nii. That's not what I- _

"I'll see you some other time okay, Riku?" Tenn says, "Rest well."

He's already turning around to leave - 

Riku's fingers close around Tenn's sleeve, pulling his arm back.

"Wait!" he cries out, "Tenn-nii, wait! Please…" Riku's bottom lip trembles as he forces out his next words. "Please don't leave me," he begs.

Tenn looks at the hand on his sleeve, then he looks at Riku.

He doesn't quite manage to hide the surprise in his voice when he speaks. 

"Are you sure, Riku? I...I don't want to bring up unpleasant memories…" 

Riku nods shakily, tightening his grip on Tenn's sleeve. "Please...stay with me while you can." His body trembles with his shuddering exhale. "I don't want to be alone."

His vision blurs when tears gather in his eyes and he starts to hiccup out his words, much to his own embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, I’m just…” Riku’s composure is steadily breaking and he’s unsure if he’s strong enough to stop it. If he even  _ wants  _ to stop it. “Tenn-nii, I...I’m just…” The first of his tears rolls down his cheek, quickly followed by another and another. “I’m so  _ scared. _ ”

He barely registers anything else after that. All he knows is that Tenn’s arms are a warm weight around him as Tenn pulls him into an embrace. He knows he’s crying too hard for someone his age - perhaps even a bit loudly too because he hears the sound of the door opening and Tsumugi’s frantic voice calling for him, followed by Tenn’s quiet reassurance. It would have been embarrassing if he is calm enough to care.

Tenn doesn’t say anything as he allows Riku to cling onto him and cry against his chest, murmuring quiet promises that Riku couldn’t quite hear.

Yet remains soothed by all the same.

Riku must have fallen asleep again, because when he opens his eyes again, his room is dark. The curtains are drawn shut and there is barely any sound except for the sound of his breathing fogging up the gas mask, which a nurse must have put on him while he was unconscious.

It takes him a while to realize the arms wrapped around him, or his brother pressed up against him on the bed, or the sound of quiet humming in his ear.

“Tenn-nii…?”

“You can go back to sleep, Riku,” Tenn whispers, “Your manager allowed me to stay the night.” Riku feels his hand pat his back, as if to coax him back to sleep. “Shh...rest now, little brother. Let me sing you to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.”

Perhaps it’s the meds that are flowing in his blood to keep him calm. Perhaps it’s the quietness of the room. Or perhaps it’s the sound of his brother’s heartbeat mixed along with the sound of him humming an old song that brings forth a set of memories that is much more pleasant now, slowly but surely overriding the scary memories of the days before.

Riku’s eyes slowly slide shut, and as he presses himself closer against his brother, he nods.

“You’ll...protect me, right...Tenn-nii?” he slurs.

He feels something press against his hair. A soft fleeting touch that feels somewhat like a -

Kiss.

“Mm,” Tenn murmurs, “Always.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos/comments/bookmarks are appreciated and you can find me on Twitter at @tennssi0907 !


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